One lucky lottery player in Arkansas received the ultimate holiday gift when they matched all six numbers in the Wednesday night drawing. On December 24, 2025, a single ticket sold in the Natural State claimed the massive Arkansas Powerball $1.817 billion jackpot, ending a three-month drought without a top-prize winner. This historic Christmas Eve win now stands as the second-largest jackpot in the history of the game, following 46 consecutive drawings that saw the prize pool climb to astronomical heights.
Arkansas Player Claims Historic Christmas Eve Windfall
The winning numbers for the record-breaking Arkansas Powerball $1.817 billion jackpot were 4, 25, 31, 52, and 59, with the red Powerball being 19. Because the jackpot had rolled over since early September, ticket sales surged across the country during the holiday week, pushing the final prize even higher than the initial $1.7 billion estimate. Consequently, the single winner must now choose between a 30-year annuity or a massive one-time cash lump sum payment.
Furthermore, the lump sum option for this specific drawing is valued at an incredible $834.9 million before taxes. While the identity of the ticket holder remains a mystery, the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery confirmed that this is only the second time a Powerball jackpot has been won in the state. Besides the grand prize winner, eight other players across California, New York, and Ohio matched five white balls to win $1 million each during the same festive night.
Wow… someone from Arkansas won the #Powerball Jackpot.
I don’t believe that’s ever happened before, but after some research… I reallzed I was wrong.
There were two jackpot winners in Arkansas, one Powerball and one Mega Millions, & they were not able to go anonymous.
The… pic.twitter.com/hqE5NRz6Uw
— Dan Skoff (@weatherdan) December 25, 2025
National Excitement Over Second-Largest Powerball Win
According to CBS News, this $1.817 billion windfall is the largest lottery prize awarded in 2025. It narrowly surpassed the $1.787 billion jackpot won by players in Missouri and Texas earlier in September. Lottery officials noted that the odds of winning the Arkansas Powerball $1.817 billion jackpot were a staggering 1 in 292.2 million, making this Christmas Eve miracle even more statistically significant.
Reacting to the news, Powerball Product Group Chair Matt Strawn described the win as an “extraordinary and life-changing moment” for the new multimillionaire. Since the jackpot has been claimed, the prize will reset to a modest $20 million for the next drawing on Saturday. However, for the people of Arkansas, the 2025 holiday season will forever be remembered as the year a single ticket changed local lottery history forever.
For just $2 per play, you can enter the Powerball drawing in 45 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. To join the hunt for the next massive jackpot, make sure to get your tickets before the live drawings held every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. ET.
Looking ahead, financial experts advise the winner to secure their ticket and consult with legal and financial professionals before coming forward. In Arkansas, winners have 180 days to claim their prize. Until then, the search continues for the lucky individual who officially holds the world’s most valuable Christmas present.
